Join our Board! We’re Growing! Applications Open For New Board Members With the ice gone from Lake Wingra and the Sandhill Cranes returning, we’re excited to see signs of spring in the watershed. We are looking for 3-5 new board members to join our organization who represent our diverse urban watershed! In doing so, our […]
Lake Wingra Watershed 1-on-1 Rain Garden Workshop Event Description Friends of Lake Wingra and Dane County Ripple Effects are offering personalized, one-on-one rain garden coaching sessions for residents in the Lake Wingra Watershed (see map of watershed below). Residents outside the watershed may be accommodated as space allows. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please email Sarah
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Please join us for the annual Lake Wingra Cleanup on Earth Day weekend! Brought to you by Friends of Lake Wingra and Wingra Boats. When: Saturday, April 25th, 10am-noonWhere: Wingra Boats, 824 Knickerbocker St.What: Clean up the lake along the shoreline from a watercraft. Trash bags, gloves and grabbers provided.Why: Garbage finds its way into the lake through storm sewers
2026 Lake Wingra Cleanup Read More »
Meetings: Lake Wingra is the saltiest lake in the Madison area—due to years of excessive winter salt use. While salt keeps sidewalks safe, over-application has long-term impacts on water quality. To address this issue, we’re forming a Lake Wingra Winter Salt Working Group to brainstorm practical, community-driven ways to reduce salt use by winter maintenance contractors at
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Friday, January 30, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pmUW-Arboretum Visitor Center Come celebrate freshwater ecosystems, learn about smart winter salt practices, and explore citizen science opportunities. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and come prepared for weather if participating in the optional hike. Free, no registration required. Presented by Friends of Lake Wingra and UW-Arboretum as part of
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Please consider a gift to Friends of Lake Wingra. Your donation – no matter the size – helps protect our beloved lake through education, community action, and clean water initiatives. Every drop counts, and so does every Friend. Stay engaged, join our events, and help keep Lake Wingra healthy for generations to come. Your donation
Did you know that when leaves from city streets wash into Lake Wingra they cause excess Phosphorus to feed algal blooms in the summer? Volunteer to help keep Lake Wingra clean by helping to keep leaves out of the streets before rainfall events this fall. There are three actions you can take to help with
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Zebra Mussels and the Future of Lake Wingra by David Ortiz, Board Member Primarily juvenile zebra mussels on an aquatic plant from Lake Mendota 2022. Photo taken by David Ortiz During the yearly removal of docks from Wingra Boats (in Wingra Park) in October 2024, zebra mussels were found for the first time within Lake
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Don’t Judge a Lake by Its Color: Understanding What Water Clarity Really Means Kyungdoe “Doe” Han1,2 1Friends of Lake Wingra, PO Box 45071, Madison, WI 53744 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706 Most people assume that a crystal-clear, blue lake is the ultimate sign
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Photo by Lisa Grueneberg Give back to the lake that gives you hours of recreation all summer! Hop on a Wingra Boats canoe or your own watercraft to pick up trash in the lake as part of your Earth Day celebration. Saturday, April 26, 10am-noonWingra Boats, 824 Knickerbocker St. Co-sponsored by the Friends of Lake Wingra
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